Grasping the Nettle
by Clever Ink Slinger
Summary: Harry is on the search of Lykour Velvenoff, a highly dangerous murderer that's on the run. When he gets an anonymous tip that Lykour is hiding out in Yorkshire, Harry knows he has to investigate. However, instead of capturing the illusive dark wizard he is viciously attacked and left for dead. Hurt and in need of help Harry turns to one person who will understand, Remus Lupin.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Grasping the Nettle  
**Category:** Books - Harry Potter  
**Challenge(s):** Shower challenge!  
**Prompt(s): **Write 500+ words!  
**Length:** WIP Chapter One – 1,249 Words!  
**Rating:** M  
**Pairing or Characters:** Harry Potter, Lykour Velvenoff, mentions of Remus Lupin.  
**Thanks: **To my amazing betas who always remind me to paint a picture with my words, not just tell a story. Thank you girls! Thank you to LJ as well for reading the first version of this story before it was changes and beta read again.  
**Disclaimer: **Though it pains me to say so, I do not own the rights to anything that belongs to the Harry Potter universe, nor do I make any money from writing about them. The only thing(s) that I can claim as mine own are the ideas and/or characters that may be woven into the wonderful world of all that is Harry Potter. Everything else is used in the spirit of good natured fun or naughty shenanigans. What can I say? I just like to play!  
**Author's Notes: **Hey guys, I just wanted to write and let you know that this story is based mostly off of head-canon. In my mind Tonks and Remus survived but they aren't together anymore and they share custody of their son. Sirius never died and he is still very much a part of Harry's life.  
**Written For:** My good friend Jess! Because she is such an amazing person I wanted to do something special. Well...a oneshot turned into a WIP!

* * *

**Chapter One**

Long teeth gnashed at the arm Harry brought up to fend off the attack. A terror-filled scream wrenched from his throat when he felt the fangs tear through his skin pulling his arm around like a ragdoll with ease. The sound of his skin being ripped was sickening him even more than the pain itself. Long tufts of fur were pressed against him from where the beast stood above him, pinning Harry to the dirt-covered floor of the rickety old shack. His wand. He needed his wand! Biting back another scream, Harry forced his disorientated mind to try and remember where his wand was. Didn't he have it out when he came through the door of the shack? Yes, but he couldn't feel it in his wand hand now. Had he dropped it? Harry couldn't remember. In a desperate attempt to find his wand, Harry flung his free arm out and began frantically feeling around for it.

The intense pain from his battered arm pulled his attention back to the large wolf that was mangling his arm. A deep rumbling growl vibrated from its mouth, making Harry scream again. If he didn't get away soon, the damned wolf was going to rip his arm off! His desperation intensified as he searched for his wand but found nothing, making his heart pound in a frantic rhythm within his chest. He had no magic to help him. The only thing left to do was fight against the beast physically and hope that he could get the thing off of him enough to get any kind of help.

Blood poured from the wound, mixed with slick strings of saliva. The sticky rivulets looked black in the pitch-black room. The only light was that of the moon peeking through a shattered window beside the door, with the pale glow eerily lighting up the horror of it all. All of the blood made Harry's arm so slippery that with a mighty tug Harry managed to dislodge his gnawed arm from the grasp of the wolf's fearsome set of teeth. For one brief moment, Harry thought that he was finally free, but the wolf had other ideas as it opened its powerful jaws again at his hand, unwilling to let his prey escape so easily. Another scream burst from Harry's mouth in reaction to the pressure of the bite breaking something in his hand.

The only thing Harry could think to do was punch desperately at the beast's huge face. He hit it with a clenched fist over and over again for what felt like forever, yet it didn't seem to affect it at all. Finally Harry placed his hand along the creature's face and felt for one of its eyes. Using his thumb, Harry pressed with all of his strength into the eye, trying to gouge its eyeball out of the socket. The wolf released Harry's hand abruptly and gave a great yelp of pain. It pawed at the damaged eye as if trying to rub away the agonizing ache Harry had caused.

Harry didn't hesitate. Pulling himself backward with his good arm, he searched for his missing wand and found it beside the door, where he had dropped it following his entrance. The wolf had tackled him, and his wand had gone flying out of his hand as he crashed to the floor. Harry grabbed the wand and was pointing it toward the wolf, but he knew he wasn't quick enough as the wolf had launched itself toward Harry already. Before he could say "Stupefy", the wolf threw itself into Harry and barrelled out the door using the momentum. The raven-haired Auror rocketed backward, slamming his head onto the solid ground just outside the doorway.

Harry's vision swam. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't focus on anything. Blackness ate at the edge of his vision until he found himself falling through the darkness of unconsciousness. He didn't know how long he had been unconscious, but when Harry came to, it was still dark out. The moon was cloaked in a blanket of silver-lined onyx clouds, and fat drops of rain had begun to spatter against his face where he lay, halfway outside of the rundown shanty. For a moment Harry couldn't remember where he was, nor could he remember how he ended up on the ground, unconscious in the middle of the night. Trying to get a grasp of where he was, Harry made as if to sit up, but pain lanced through the entire left side of his upper body.

Looking over to his left side and seeing his ravaged arm in horror, memories started flooding back. He had been looking for Lykour Velvenoff, a powerful dark wizard who just so happened to turn furry once a month. Harry had received an anonymous owl just before leaving work for the evening, claiming that Velvenoff had holed up in an abandoned hut in Yorkshire. Velvenoff had evaded all of the Aurors who had come after him. Even Harry had been outsmarted by the mongrel on two other occasions. If someone thought Lykour was in Yorkshire, Harry needed to look into it. It was necessary for the werewolf to be stopped before he hurt or murdered another person, and though he was exhausted from all of the overtime he'd been forcing himself into, Harry decided to look into it. However, with Velvenoff waiting in ambush for his arrival, Harry had not way to prepare for the impending violence.

A hiss of discomfort escaped from between Harry's clenched teeth as he searched yet again for his dropped wand. It lay just beside him in a cluster of damp, trampled grass. He held the wand awkwardly in his mangled hand as he pushed himself to his feet with the other. There was a crazed werewolf running around somewhere, but Harry couldn't muster the strength to go after it. Not now. His feet felt heavier than they should have, and he could barely keep himself upright. On top of it all, he had an arm that was completely useless. He needed help. Quickly.

Harry was about to apparate to Number 12 Grimmauld Place when a stray thought made him pause and he thought better of it. He had been attacked by a werewolf and had survived. That could only mean one thing- Harry was going to be a werewolf come the next full moon, which was only a few days away. A werewolf could shift any time around the full moon, though he wasn't sure if that applied to freshly made werewolves, but he knew that he was too dangerous to be around. There was only one person who could truly help him now. Remus Lupin.

Harry staggered a few steps as he twisted on the spot to apparate. A strange feeling washed over him, one he wasn't used to feeling when he travelled by apparation. There was the feeling of nausea which he always felt . . . but deep down there was something else as well. He was lightheaded. Harry didn't know that blood was still seeping from his arm, nor did he know that the poison of lycanthropy was pumping through his veins, making his body use what little strength it had left to try and fend off the disease. Spots danced through his vision, causing his stomach to give a threatening lurch. And then, just before he thudded onto the ground outside of Remus' house, Harry lost consciousness once more.

* * *

**A/N: **I really appreciate all of the people who take the time to read and review. I respect positive comments and constructive criticism. Both help to make me a better author which in turn makes my writing style improve for the better. On top of that I truly enjoy responding to all of your reviews. Also, thanks to those of you who have favorited and/or followed this story. That means so much!:) So, thank you all so much!. You're all wee gems!


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **Grasping the Nettle  
**Category:** Books - Harry Potter  
**Challenge(s): **Shower challenge and the Scrabble challenge!  
**Prompt(s): **Write 500+ words and use the word Languor!  
**Length:** WIP Chapter Two – 1,380 Words!  
**Rating: **M  
**Pairing or Characters: **Harry Potter and Remus Lupin.  
**Thanks: **To my amazing betas who always remind me to paint a picture with my words, not just tell a story. Thank you girls!  
**Disclaimer:** Though it pains me to say so, I do not own the rights to anything that belongs to the Harry Potter universe, nor do I make any money from writing about them. The only thing(s) that I can claim as mine own are the ideas and/or characters that may be woven into the wonderful world of all that is Harry Potter. Everything else is used in the spirit of good-natured fun or naughty shenanigans. What can I say? I just like to play!  
**Author's Notes:** Hey guys, I just wanted to write and let you know that this story is based mostly off of head-canon. In my mind Tonks and Remus survived but they aren't together anymore and they share custody of their son. Sirius never died and he is still very much a part of Harry's life.  
**Written For:** My good friend Jess! Because she is such an amazing person I wanted to do something special. Well...a oneshot turned into a WIP!

* * *

**Chapter Two**

Remus's skin stung from the harsh assault of freezing rain lashing down from the cloud-cloaked early morning sky. An unforgiving pine-scented wind tore at his exposed face like the claws of an irate maenad, causing his vision to blur as he stumbled through the overgrown patches of greenery surrounding his decrepit house. Remus was bruised and battered after a feverish night of running through the whispering labyrinth lodge pole pines. Chilled to the bone and almost too tired to make it home, Remus trudged on laggardly. All he wanted was to crawl into his broken-down bed, close his weary eyes, and sleep off the languor that seemed to suck at his very soul.

_One foot in front of the other, old boy, one foot in front of the other_. Remus mentally coaxed himself, shoving a hand through his rain-dampened hair to keep it out of his pale eyes._ O__nly a little further now, you haggard mongrel, and you'll be well on your way to oblivion._

It seemed like an eternity had passed before Remus made it through the rickety wooden fence surrounding his front garden. A strong gust of wind whooshed around him as he walked into the yard, making the front gate creak in protest when he passed through. Remus was so tired that, for a moment, he considered leaving the lopsided gate hanging open. Just the thought of turning around to push it closed seemed like too much work in his exhausted state of mind. A shred of reason played through his muddled thoughts. If he didn't latch the gate shut now, it would creak abominably in the violent winds while he was trying to sleep. Sighing, Remus turned and pushed the gate closed, making sure the rusted metal latch was firmly in place.

He was treading towards the house when he saw the dark outline of a person in the unkempt grass. An unexpected rush of unease spread through him like wild fire, and the adrenalin generated chased away all signs of fatigue that inhibited him only moments before. Self-preservation took over, and Remus stood alert to the presence of the stranger. He lived in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by rolling hills and forests of pine. There wasn't a proper road to access the old house. It had been abandoned for many years before Remus took up ownership, and nature had reclaimed the old dirt road that had once been. The presence of a stranger could only mean one of two things: some muggle had gotten lost —a very unlikely possibility— or the person in the grass had arrived by means of magic— a much more likely scenario.

Remus pulled his wand from the inner pocket of his tattered ashen cloak. Until he knew that the stranger meant him no harm, it seemed like a good idea to have his wand at the ready. It wouldn't do to be caught unaware just because he hadn't been cautious. Pointing steadily at the figure, he began moving toward it in slow, calculated steps.

Another gust of wind blew through the garden, making Remus jump when the peeling shutters clapped against boarded-up house walls. Pausing, he closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. _Mind your nerves, old man. It's nothing more than a little wind! Get it together__! _He thought angrily before continuing toward the figure.

Lightning illuminated the entire garden as it pierced the ebony velvet sky, providing Remus with the visual clues of identity of the stranger through the sparks of light. Whoever it was, he was sprawled out on his stomach. He took note of the jet-black cloak, raven hair, pale snippets of skin, and the scarlet smears of blood on the exposed flesh. The sight of the blood made him take a deep breath through his nose. It smelled of coppery coins like blood should, and yet there was something off about it. The smell went straight through his sensitive nose to coat the back of his tongue. As it settled over his taste buds, he couldn't help but scowl in disgust. The blood was . . . _tainted_ somehow.

Remus was standing over the body when a second flash of light danced through the darkness, giving him another glimpse of the person. He felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him when he finally recognized whom the sprawled body belonged to. This time he saw the lightning-shaped scar peering from beneath locks of unruly hair, and a familiar pair of glasses lay crunched on the grass. Remus' breath caught in his throat as he stared down at the very still body of Harry Potter.

He didn't remember dropping to his knees beside Harry. One moment he was standing, and the next he was turning the younger man over to see if he was still breathing. It took a few moments —though it seemed like an eternity to Remus— before he saw the gentle rise and fall of Harry's chest. A rush of relief washed through him.

_Thank the stars above, Harry's alive__._ Remus thought gratefully until he saw the ripped flesh along the younger man's arm. He gently picked up the injured limb to inspect it. The flesh was jagged and bloody where it had been torn. It was apparent that the wounds were made by the jaws of a sizable creature. However, there was something familiar about the damage, something that Remus couldn't quite put his finger on. A horrifying possibility flitted through his mind, and he put his face close to the lacerations, distressed to have his suspicion confirmed. Closing his sage eyes, he inhaled deeply, taking in the smells that lingered on Harry's skin. The sickly scent of foul saliva, decaying teeth, and something Remus had worried he would find— the stench of werewolf.

He opened his eyes and looked sadly down onto Harry's unconscious face as he murmured, "Merlin, Harry, how could this have happened?"

Thunder reverberated in an angry rumble overhead. As if on cue, the rain went from a drizzle to a downpour, hammering unforgivably down around them. Remus needed to get Harry inside. He could still remember what it had been like—had felt like—to have the toxins of lycanthropy pumping through his body. He recalled the sensation of his humanoid cells being killed one after another as the inherited werewolf genes began to take over his very essence. The agonizing pain had haunted his comatose mind for days before it began to fade away. When he opened his eyes he was a new hybrid creature. Remus wasn't sure if the raven-haired man would have the same exact experience that he had, but Harry would surely go through something similar. All he could do now was get Harry out of the rain and make him as comfortable as possible.

Remus brushed wet locks of hair away from Harry's face, feeling the heat of a fever radiating from his forehead. The change was already coming. With misery etched on his face, Remus picked up the broken glasses and pulled himself up on his feet wearily. Pointing his wand, he muttered a simple levitation spell, making Harry's body rise slowly into the air so he could guide it inside.

Once Harry was upstairs in the only bedroom, Remus stopped to think. He couldn't just stuff Harry under the blankets in his wet clothes. The younger man might not appreciate being undressed while he was unconscious, but Remus really couldn't see any other solution.

So, with Harry still suspended in midair, Remus removed all of his torn, wet clothing and tossed them aside. After rifling through his rickety chest of draws, all he could find that would fit Harry's slender form was an oversized T-shirt and a pair of holey drawstring sweatpants.

Dressing a lax body was harder than Remus expected. Without the necessary muscle control, it requested more time and effort to put on the shirt and then the pants. When he'd finished stuffing Harry's limp legs into the pants, Remus guided him to the bed and tucked him snugly beneath the blankets.

Looking down at Harry's feverish and flushed face, Remus said softly, "Don't worry, Harry. I'll take care of you now. Nothing will happen to you as long as I'm here."

* * *

**A/N: **I really appreciate all of the people who take the time to read and review. I respect positive comments and constructive criticism. Both help to make me a better author which in turn makes my writing style improve for the better. On top of that I truly enjoy responding to all of your reviews. Also, thanks to those of you who have favorited and/or followed this story. That means so much!:) So, thank you all so much!. You're all wee gems!


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: **Grasping the Nettle – Chapter Three  
**Category:** Books - Harry Potter  
**Challenge(s): **Shower challenge and the Scrabble challenge!  
**Prompt(s): **Write 500+ words and use the word Preach!  
**Length:** WIP Chapter Three – 1,528 Words!  
**Rating: **M  
**Pairing or Characters: **Harry Potter, Remus Lupin, and Sirius Black.  
**Thanks: **To my amazing betas who always remind me to paint a picture with my words, not just tell a story. Thank you girls!  
**Disclaimer:** Though it pains me to say so, I do not own the rights to anything that belongs to the Harry Potter universe, nor do I make any money from writing about them. The only thing(s) that I can claim as mine own are the ideas and/or characters that may be woven into the wonderful world of all that is Harry Potter. Everything else is used in the spirit of good-natured fun or naughty shenanigans. What can I say? I just like to play!  
**Author's Notes:** Hey guys, I just wanted to write and let you know that this story is based mostly off of head-canon. In my mind Tonks and Remus survived but they aren't together anymore and they share custody of their son. Sirius never died and he is still very much a part of Harry's life.  
**Written For:** My good friend Jess! Because she is such an amazing person I wanted to do something special. Well...a oneshot turned into a WIP! Hope you like it Jess! Also, for all of the reviewers who took time to reach chapter one and leave a review!

* * *

**Chapter Three**

Remus tossed a handful of silvery Floo Powder into the crackling fireplace of the downstairs sitting room. Golden saffron flames swelled into a blazing emerald green so bright that it hurt his eyes, signaling that Remus could make his Floo call safely. He leaned forward on his knees so that his face was in the verdant fire before clearly speaking the words, "Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place!"

Though the warm breath of the tickling flames made his eyes water, Remus didn't close his eyes. Instead he watched the grates swarm by. One blur after another passed his vision, giving him momentary snippets of other people's homes. The visions spun and swirled around him for a handful of minutes, then stopped abruptly. Through the grate he could see the old sitting room where Sirius took most of his meals when he was alone. Remus could see that Sirius was sitting in his favorite chair beside the hearth, reading the morning edition of the _Daily Prophet_ and sipping a cup of tea.

"Sirius," Remus called out gently, not wanting to startle the other man. His efforts were wasted, however, because Sirius gave a noticeable jump, sloshing his tea, before whipping his head around to find the owner of the voice.

"Who is it? Show yourself!" Sirius' eyes were mere slits as he glared at the face peering from the grate.

Remus realized that his face must not have been far enough into the flames if his good friend couldn't even recognize him. Shifting his body forward so that he was shoulders deep into his own fireplace, he said, "Is this better?"

A smile split Sirius' scowling features when he realized who it was. "Remus, old friend! It's been too long."

"Indeed it has," Remus agreed with a regretful tone, wincing internally at the bad news he had to give Sirius.

"I suppose it's to be expected, though, what with the separation and all," Sirius said as he folded the newspaper and tossed it aside. When he turned back he saw the forlorn expression that had taken over Remus' face. With a grimace he set down his tea and said, "I'm sorry, Moony. I shouldn't have brought it up."

Remus' thoughts turned to his son and the limited amount of time he actually got to see Teddy, making a stabbing pain shoot through his chest. He would give anything to see his little boy more often. Tonks, however, didn't feel the same. With a heavy sigh, Remus said, "It's all right. I know you didn't mean to come across as insensitive."

"Of course I didn't! We've just been worried about you, is all. Molly told me to keep out of it. She said that you'd need time to 'heal emotionally' and that I needed to leave you be. She's always been a bit of a worrier that one."

"Yes, well, I would say it's her maternal nature that makes her fret." A ghost of a smile played on Remus' face as he thought about the kind woman. More than once she had tried to take him under her wing like a mother hen, not even considering that he was a fully capable adult of nearly the same age as her.

"Yes, well, you know how she is–" Sirius trailed off. Then he continued with a smile, "You know, Remus, you should join us for supper this evening."

"Actually, I don't think I'll be able to–" Remus started, only to be cut off mid-sentence.

"Oh, come on, I'm sure Harry would enjoy seeing you, and I'd like to catch up," Sirius stated in a tone that told Remus he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

With a gentle smile, he said, "I would love to, Sirius, honestly. But I can't– I've–"

Again his raven-haired friend cut him off, beginning to frown a bit impatiently. "Why not? What else could you have planned that can't wait until tomorrow? Come on, Moony!"

Remus scowled at Sirius' tone. Although he knew Sirius did not realise the underlying meaning of his words, still the irritation grated on his nerves as his old pal thought that his life was too pathetic to have any plans. Granted, Remus didn't have _social_ plans, but he did have plans. His plans consisted of taking care of Harry, who happened to be the reason behind _this_ social call. Scowling partly in annoyance that the conversation got sidetracked by Sirius' oblivious nature when things didn't go his way, Remus was finally able to start giving the bad news. "Padfoot! Just listen,will you? It's about Harry, and it is not good news. He..."

"What do you mean? What about Harry? What happened? What did you hear, Remus?" Sirius asked, furrowing his brow. His gaze was controlled, but a well-known spark seemed to swim in his irises, as if any confirmation on the matter would light the spark aflame.

"Can't you just let me finish first? You are not making this any easier jumping in! He's been attacked, Padfoot." Seeing that Sirius had opened his mouth in horror, Remus shot him a look to stop him from interrupting again. "He arrived sometime last night. I found him in my front garden when I was coming back very early this morning. He's all right, so don't do anything irrational."

Sirius was quiet for so long that Remus thought that perhaps he hadn't heard him properly. Then, like a switch being thrown, Sirius shot to his feet and demanded, "Are you at St. Mungo's with Harry? What did the Healer say about his injuries? I . . . I need to be there for him!"

Had the matter not been so grave, Remus might've smirked at his incorrect prediction. It was not the time, however. "No, Harry is here with me at Solus End. His wounds weren't so bad that he needed a hospital. I patched him up this morning myself. He's . . . erm . . . resting at the moment."

"Who attacked him, Remus? Did he recognize them?" Sirius paced before the hearth impatiently.

"I don't know who attacked him," Remus assured quickly, knowing Sirius probably was concorting a plan for revenge. "Your guess would be as good as mine. But there's something else you must know."

"What? What else is there?" Sirius was still deeply in thought, mentally going through a list of enemies whom Harry had made in his career and which of them could have managed to harm his godson, therefore he wasn't aware of the look that Remus was giving him, indicating that the worse was not over yet.

"He was attacked by a werewolf." Remus watched as Sirius stopped pacing to stare at him in disbelief. The color drained from his face until he was as white as a sheet, and Remus feared he might pass out.

"Merlin . . . how?!" Sirius croaked.

"I'm not sure," Remus said softly. He watched the flood of emotions cross Sirius' face. It made his heart heavy. To see his own friend realising with great horror that Harry might be a monster just like him served to remind Remus that even people he was close to thought less of him just because he turned furry once a month. Anger and sorrow filled his heart, but he pushed it down enough to say, "He'll be all right, Sirius."

Sirius turned angry eyes on him. "No! You can't say that! Isn't it a hard enough life for Harry already but to add being a werewolf on top of that?!" Sirius was nearly foaming at the mouth that he didn't realise the next bit of information he blurted out would get him in even hotter water. "I remember what it was like for you at Hogwarts. How much it took out of you. I know how much you hated it, how much you still hate it. I had my suspicion that Tonks left you for that, but... No, Harry's life is going to be changed forever. His life will never be the same again–" Sirius trailed off at the fury on Remus' face. In his anger, he had not only revealed his misgiving of the situation, but also his guess towards his only remaining best friend's broken marriage.

"Don't preach to me about it, Sirius," Remus lashed out as his anger came to a head after the long agonising night, not wanting to think too much on his broke marriage. "I know better than anyone else what it's like to be what I am. Yes, Harry will be okay. I know because when you have the support of those around you, it's easier to see past the negative things. I'll be there to help him through this, and I know you will be too, even if the thought horrifies you. Now, I should really get back to Harry. I know you'll be along shortly, so will you please bring Harry some clothes? I don't have anything that'll fit him." With that Remus pulled his head out of the emerald flames to disconnect the Floo call.

* * *

**A/N: **I really appreciate all of the people who take the time to read and review. I respect positive comments and constructive criticism. Both help to make me a better author which in turn makes my writing style improve for the better. On top of that I truly enjoy responding to all of your reviews. Also, thanks to those of you who have favorited and/or followed this story. That means so much!:) So, thank you all so much!. You're all wee gems!


End file.
